Raise Your Voice Project: Goingfrom Strength to Strength in

2021

In This Issue

@WRDA_team

@WomensResourceandDevelop

mentAgency

The Raise Your Voice project is still running andhas been very busy in recent months. Our motionto recognise misogyny as a category of hatecrime passed two more Councils in Antrim &Newtownabbey and Newry, Mourne & Down,bringing our total to seven Councils.

We have also submitted a response to theConsent to Serious Harm for Sexual Gratification:

Newsletter ~ January 2021

Raise Your VoiceProject: Going fromStrength to Strength

in 2021

Maternal Advocacyand Support Project

Keeps GoingThrough Lockdown

Good Relations

Programme NowOnline

Upcoming Events

and Reading Groups

You can also sign up to the Raise Your Voiceezine while on the website, or watch arecording of the event we ran alongsideCommon Youth for the Northern IrelandHuman Rights Festival, called Consent inMedia: From Doris Day to Normal People.

We have exciting plans for 2021, so do keepan eye out to see what we are organising forInternational Women’s Day and beyond.

Not a Defence consultation, also known as the “Rough Sex Defence”. In ourresponse we proposed a solution that we believe is better than the approachtaken in England and Wales because it would create a new category of offenceso that these crimes no longer need to be prosecuted as manslaughter. Webelieve that a new law can deliver justice for victims and their families andpaired with education we can change the culture that has contributed to the risein these kinds of crimes. You can read our full response on our website(www.raiseyourvoice.community and then select 'News and Resources').

There is still time to book workshops, too, so do get in touch if you want to bookfor your group, or keep an eye out for more public online workshops.

WRDA’s Good Relations programme is now takingplace online and it is open to women and non-binarypeople who are not currently affiliated with anygroups or women’s centres as well as to women’sgroups.

In seeking to hear from as many women aspossible, we will hold two initial meetings via Zoomat lunchtime and in the evening on Monday 1stFebruary, so that we can get an idea of what timebest suits our participants – we know many of youare home-schooling or working from home rightnow, and we are eager to accommodate that asmuch as possible. This programme is short andfocuses on examining current issues in communitiesacross NI, looking at the issues from a genderedperspective and workshopping solutions.

For more information or to register pleasecontact elaine.crory@wrda.net

WRDA Newsletter ~ January 2021 2

Our Good RelationsProgramme is Online

Now

MAs Project KeepsGoing Through

Lockdown

Falls Women's CentreWindsor Women's CentreGreenway Women's CentreFootprints Women's CentresAtlas Centre, LisburnWomen's Centre DerryStrathfoyle

The Mas Project workers are still supporting mumsduring lockdown, with individual one to onesupport and some centre's will facilitate groupsonline.

If you or someone you know would like to join oneof the peer support groups that focus on maternalmental health related issues, contact your nearestWomen's Centre. Our Mas hubs include:

WRDA is delighted that the long awaited fundingfor a specialists perinatal mental health communityservice model for NI has been approved. Thisservice will make a huge difference for womenwho meet the criteria for specialist support. Welook forward to the development of this serviceacross all 5 trusts, particularly at this time whencovid 19 restrictions impact and increase isolationfor new mums.

Do you question whether prisons are thebest response to harms in society andwhether the police actually function tobring about a safer society?

The Women's Regional Consortium is runningan Abolitionist Futures reading group todiscuss these issues and to think about howwe could build a world without prisons andpolicing. Our first meeting will be on Thursday11th March at a time to be decided by thereading group members. The reading groupwill last for seven meetings with the frequencyof meetings to be either weekly, fortnightly ormonthly depending on what the groupdecides.

If you are interested please sign up byemailing Megan on info@wrda.net.

We would like to thank Abolitionist Futures formaking these materials available for use.

WRDA Newsletter ~ January 2021 3

Abolitionist FuturesReading Group

Starting in March

The Role of Women inthe Revival of the

Irish language

Join WRDA on the 25th of February at 7pm overZoom to discuss this interesting topic. The eventwill cover the Gaelic Revival, establishment of theBelfast Gaeltacht and widening participation.Confirmed panelists include Margaret Ward andLinda Ervine.

You can register for the event on Eventbrite.

Making FeminismTrans Inclusive

Join WRDA on the 4th of March at 7pm over Zoomto learn more about what Trans InclusiveFeminism means and how to put it into practice.The panelists will be Alexa Moore fromTransgender NI and Joanne McParland from CaraFriend.

You can register for the event on Eventbrite.